Elder Campbell

Sunday, August 10, 2014

This has been another great week---it's pretty easy to say that every week, because there are so many people around me who are truly kind and bless me, not to mention all of you, but I'm sorry if it seems repetitive. This week the weather also fluctuated a bit, mostly in temperature, while the humidity remained relatively constant. I think I mentioned it before, about the day a few weeks ago when it rained the most, the way stepping outside of the church building you could almost feel the density of the air around. That has become a pretty regular feeling, which is alright.

This week we spent a lot of our time and effort around the church building. I think I mentioned it a little before, but the church is actually on the front of a big main road that goes from here to Busan. It's the same road that the 경전철 (light-rail) tracks are built on, so when you ride that it seems like it's right in front of you. It's right next to the 김해 소방서 (fire-station for this neighborhood), which is very helpful in explaining to others where it is. Recently some members, one of whom used to be the branch president, have tried to make it look nicer by planting some new trees and flowers in the little garden around the border of the grounds, which is a popular place for bugs hang out and buzz loudly.

The bishop and some of the other ward leaders, after talking to the parents of the youth, decided that it would be good, since it's "summer vacation" for most of the youth, to organize an activity of some kind, and so they asked us to plan and set up an English camp where the youth can sleep over and bring their friends. I already mentioned that the Stake youth conference happened here, where they did it in a pretty similar way, but they asked us to especially focus it on English. So we met several times to come up with specific activities and things that we could do to make it fun and helpful for some people. It's a little different to have meetings like that often, but it's nice to be able to interact more with and hear the ideas of other missionaries, all of whom are very smart and funny and talented. I don't think I've taken a lot of time to describe all of them to you, so I'll try to very briefly. 김장로님 (Elder Kim) is very funny and a strong person, and also very good at piano and violin and math. He usually kind of lead the discussions we had, seeming serious and making lots of jokes at the same time. His companion is Elder Leftwich, who's from Arizona, and is a very serious and deep thinker. He also sometimes makes a funny noise when something silly happens, like the laugh that cartoon characters make when they catch someone red-handed (ha-HAah), but more high-pitched and extreme. He's very kind and funny. The Sister missionaries who serve here are also both really great. 어자매님 (Sister Uh) is very happy and funny and kind all the time, and always brightens up the atmosphere whoever she's with. She also is able to think very logically and seriously about things in a fun way, which is really helpful for things like this. 최자매님 (Sister Choi (Chway)) is really great in most every way---she's kind and helpful, and always thinks of everyone's perspective, and is also very good at English, so she is able to and makes the effort to help everyone in many ways. After meeting and talking almost everyday, we were able to come up with a pretty rough plan for the activity, basically making several different rooms with different real-life secenarios, includnig a drugstore, mart, bank, and things like that, which other missionaries will come and set up, that the youth can go through and use English to try and conquer some kind of challenge, after which they get a sticker. We also planned, at the specific request of the leaders, to have several people walking around as police officers to make sure that everyone is only using English, which if they're not they have to go to "prison", where they learn and practice how to say what they were trying to. It sounds kind of crazy at first, and maybe it will be---but hopefully people will like it.

We also were able to meet several of the people we have been before, and one new person this week, and talk about the Gospel. The first was 조형제님 (Brother Jo), who I've written about for the past few weeks. On Thursday afternoon, we met at the church and went to eat together. It was really pretty hot, the kind where the sun makes everything look really clear and new (화창한 날씨: a specific phrase for that kind of hot weather), so we went to eat something that we have a lot, because it's close to the church, cheap, and pretty cool, called 밀면 (Meer-myun: noodles, either in cold broth or with spicy sauce). We talked about where Elder Park (Pock) is from, and the weather there, and about Brother Jo's childhood. Afterward we walked back to the church and talked about the Plan of Salvation. He really likes most things that we've introduced to him, but has some problems understanding why Adam and Eve's fall was part of God's plan. It was kind of sensitive, since Elder Park (Pock) had met some people before who had the same question, and they weren't able to understand the explanation well, but as we focused on the bigger and more important role of a Savior in God's plan, he seemed to understand most of it. He also came to the church a few other times during the week while we were there, and talked with and interacted with the other missionaries, who all really like him because he's very pure and funny and, in their words, "cute".

We also were able to meet 김형제님 (Brother Kim) for the first time separately this week. We originally met him in a park where we were trying to advertise for our English class, and he seemed very interested. Apparently he served during the Vietnam War, and learned a lot from serving with American soldiers there. He came to our English class a few times, and said he would like to meet later again to talk about English and the Gospel. We met him and talked about his family. He has two daughters and a son, on daughter who lives in Okinawa with her son who was born in Seattle. He has lots of great experiences, and is very good at English. We first just wanted to find out what kind of religious interests or backround he has in his life---he said he mostly believed in Buddhism, but never really practiced it much. As we talked very basically about who God and Christ are, he seemed to be very curious and interested in who is who, I think partially because he's never really had an opportunity to learn about them before.

We were able to meet the other missionaries in our zone to talk about and prepare for the same youth activity, and it was nice to see how everyone was able to come together and work well to prepare for it. We also had a similar experience on Sunday, where we had a meeting with the ward leaders, and even though it was pretty long, they asked us to talk more specifically than usual about everyone we're meeting with and how they can help. I'm really grateful for the kind, amazing people we're able to serve with and their good examples to us. I read Moroni 7 this week, and was grateful for the way it teaches very simply about the way Christ brings goodness into our lives. You have all helped me to learn and apply that and other truths of the Gospel, and I'm really grateful for that. I hope you're always happy, and know how much I love you---keep it up.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Sorry again about the last time---that was the first time that's ever happened to us while using the computers here, but we'll be more careful in the future. It is a college, but they have a free computer lab that anyone can use, but it just closes pretty early in the evening. There's usually just a few students---always wearing cool clothes and watching online lectures or making presentations.

Before talking about this past week, I wanted to review some of the things that I wasn't able to mention in the e-mail last time. On Thursday, the day after our district meeting, we were able to meet again with 조형제님 (Brother Jo), who I think I mentioned before, but just to remind, he was sitting next to me on a bus coming back from another meeting somewhere, and even though is pretty shy and didn't even want to say his name at first, kept asking questions about us and our church. He's in his twenties, and does cleaning work, but has at least a little free time every week. He has been coming almost every week to see the church, talk, and do something simple together. We met at the church, went to eat lunch at a 칵국수 (Kar Gook-soo: thick noodles) restauraunt, and then talked about repentance. He seemed to know basically about it, having already gone to a different church for about a year, but he did ask a few times about things like Adam and Eve, and how if they hadn't eaten the fruit they wouldn't have sinned, and so wouldn't have the bad consequences of sin, either. In the end, we showed a video that came out pretty recently---박장로님 (Elder Park(Pock)), my companion, really likes it. It's the one called "Because of Him", and kind of sums up Christ's role in helping us to restart through repentance. He seemed to like it, and said he would try to pray personally and try repenting for himself. He's very nice, and I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to be able to meet him and help him to know how the Gospel of Christ can bless his life.

During the rest of the week, there were two main events that we spent most of our time preparing for, the first of which being a stake 초등회 (primary) activity that was held in our building. The primary leaders, including 조자매님 (Sister Jo), who is the wife of the previous branch president, is very happy and kind and helpful always, asked us to help set up a kind of mini swimming pool for the primary kids. There's no blow-up pool or anything, but they asked us to use a lot of sandbags that are in one of the storage closets in the church, and the tarp that is used whenever the ward has a meal together, to try to make one. We spent a while trying to figure out the right size to make a circle of sandbags with, and after trying and failing a few times figured out one tha worked. It didn't look very fancy, but luckily it worked out alright in the end. We and the Sisters also set up some activities for the younger kids to do while the older ones went to a 박물관 (museum), including eating onion-ring-type 과자 (snacks, like chips, etc.) off of a string, duck-duck-goose, and other things like that. It was long, but fun. And on Sunday, after church, there was a fireside for President Barrow, since he recently newly came, at a different ward in Busan. We left the church to take a bus there, and realized we could almost feel the moisture in the air. We started to feel some pretty big drops, and then all of a sudden it started raining a lot. We were able to get to the bus stop by going through the 경전철 (light rail) station, by which time it was pretty similar to taking a shower outside. When the bus came, we just went to get on, and were immediately wet. It was kind of crazy, but also kind of fun at the same time. By the time we got there it had stopped raining, and we went to help set up chairs and things, as well as to practice a song that the leaders requested that all the missionaries do. It was just the "E.F.Y. Medley", so it didn't need a lot of practice or anything really, but just to sit down together one time and sing it, which we were able to do right before the meeting started. They had also asked me to translate for it---even it was a pretty old building, and the microphone was kind of echo-y, it worked out alright in the end, and all the talks were very inspiring, especially President Barrow, who talked about, as he has before, the basics of faith and acting on it. He illustrated it with an experience of training for a bike race, which he has done throughout his life, and accidentally swallowing a huge moth, which everyone will probably remember for a long time. In the end, it was a really great meeting.

It was a great week, and I didn't want to leave out those parts of it. I'll send the other e-mail soon.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

This has been another pretty great week. There were some things that developed and changed a lot rapidly, and others that have been going for a long time and have just started to turn subtly. But they were all good, and they all of great good points attached to them. The first is, as always, the weather, which was pretty unpredictable for a while and after that started to be pretty hot at one moment. Over a span of a few days, while walking around we heard the starting and stopping of 매미 (cicadas), making the noise that they do. Then all of a sudden during the past few days they seemed to start to be all around constantly, and now it's just a regular part of life.

Not everything is like that, I guess, but it seemed to be kind of a regular theme recently. On Tuesday, we went to 구포 (Goo-po) early in the morning to meet with the other missionaries in our district and our mission president for interviews. Unfortunately, everyone (including me) forgot to tell the Sisters in our area that we were doing the meeting there, so they didn't show up and eventually called and realized what had happened. It was a little rushed and they seemed frustrated, but in the end we started. It was interesting to see how it was different from before---not that it was a lot different, but because they've come recently and are trying to figure out their own method they had the missionaries who serve in the headquarters come and help. We talked a lot about faith, and President Barrow specifically shared some very good scriptures, asking us to personally read later the rest of them and asking deep questions without giving the obvious answer in one time. He's very good at helping others to think and come up with ideas for themselves, which is ultimately the way we have to do most things. We also watched a few videos I'd never seen before, one of missionaries teaching about repentance, which was pretty great, and the rest were chosen from the "I'm a Mormon" videos specifically about people who had a serious injury or disease or some other kind of physical hardship, but didn't get discouraged or pessimistic about it. The missionaries who prepared it did it very thoroughly and well, which was really great. They made it possible for everyone to participate, and luckily everyone did. It was pretty interesting, because it was raining a bit at the start, and then started to get heavier, and by the mid-end there was thunder pealing outside that sounded like a movie studio prop because it was really near and verylong and heavy. When I went to do an interview with President Barrow, it was really great. He asked about some basic things, which is very understandable since I'd only met him once or twice before, and then about plans and about my companion, 박장로님 (Elder Park (Pock)). He's very supportive and kind, and I'm grateful for his serving us here.

We also had some other good opportunities to meet and learn wiht others this week. One was our usual English class, which has been kind of different recently because some people who came very often before haven't been able to for a long time. There were just a few who came this week, including 허형제님 (Brother Huh) who we've been meeting for a long time, and a few of the younger kids who have been coming recently to the church to hang out and learn. But before we started, we suddenly got a call from 조형제님 (Brother Jo), who we met on the bus coming back from a district meeting a few weeks before. He is a very shy, quiet person, but he's also very curious and already goes to a church and has faith in Christ, and he asked all of a sudden if we could meet that night. We said that we could after English class was over, and he decided to come then. As we started to finish, he called us, and we went outside to meet him. It was a pretty windy and rainy day, but he had come a little before 7:00, when we ha decided to meet, and it was pretty inspiring. We went in and tlakeed with him about his religion and the reasons he wanted to meet with us. He said he's been going to his church for just over a year, and has studied the Bible a fair amount, but still isn't sure for himself if the things that it teaches are really for sure true. We talked about having faith, how Heavenly Father gave us all of these things as an expression of his love for us as our Father, and invited him to meet again to talk about how he can gain greater faith. He said that would be okay, and seemed very nice and glad to be there. I'm glad he was there, too. On the same night, while we were talking with him, someone came up and looked through the door where we were, and later introduced himself as someone we had met a few weeks earlier and who had come to see what English class was like. I guess there were quite a few pretty amazing things that happened that night, and I was really grateful for all of them.

We also got to have a zone meeting this week, which was the first time in a while we've been able to do that. We only found out a week prior that it would be on that day, so we tried ot prepare as best as we could in advance. The district leaders and Sister Training Leaders agreed to help, and as they're all really responsible they prepared very carefully and well for the parts we asked them to. We also prepared a short teaching-practice activity about finding a good flow and teaching evenly as companions. It's something that Elder Park (Pock) has wanted to focus on a lot, and has really been helpful and a great way to learn lots of new things. It was a little last-minute, so we had to rush to finish it, but in the end it turned out pretty well. We all met in 연산 (Yun-sahn) on Friday morning, set up, and then sang hymns for the first while before we actually started. The room was a little small for everyone to fit in, but it was nice to be close with everyone else and feel that we were doing and learning things together. All the leaders prepared really well, and shared the parts they had received with their own personal insight. One of them, Elder Sutton, who I met in the MTC, shared several examples from the scriptures and also from his own life of understanding and valuing the personal worth of others and of ourselves. Elder Flint, one of my companions, talked about teaching others about the premortal life and their life and roles there, and then there was a really great special song that Elder Sutton also sang, which was about pretty much the same topic, called "Here Am I, Send Me". The Sisters from our area, 최자매님 (Sister Choi (Chway)) and 어자매님 (Sister Eo (Uh)) did a good practice about explaining scripture stories simply and to help us understand the moral of them, using pictures and things. In the end, Elder Park (Pock), my companion, shared his experience about teaching simply, and then we gave a short demonstration, and then practiced all together. It ended up a little longer than we had expected, but it seemed good, and everyone seemed to learn something. We ate lunch together, which was nice, at a restaraunt outside the church where the staff are very friendly because they know the missionaries well, and then came back on the subway/경전철 (lightrail). We went to try to visit the house of a less-active member one of the leaders asked us to try and find. She wasn't there, but we were able to see a good view of the valley in the area near the kind of downtown part of the city, which includes lots of mountains and huge apartments. Some big cranes or other birds were flying around a big green mountain which has a secret shiny building at the top of it, probably some kind of astronomy lab---it was a pretty interesting sight. Afterward, we had another opportunity to meet with Brother Jo. The members had some kind of activity that we didn't know about, so they gave us a big plate with potatoes and 자두 (Jah-doo: kind of like a plum) to eat while we were talking. We talked specifically just about faith, and even though there were some hard parts to understand he shared the things he did know and understand for sure, and seemed excited to participate and to share the things he knows. He's a shy, quiet young adult, and he said he works cleaning somewhere, and still lives with his family. We talked about the change that believing in Christ can have in his life, and he said he would like to meet again.

On Sunday we had a lot of good things happen. The Busan Stake President came to visit our ward, and the members all gave really good talks. It was raining, so we stayed inside and got to talk with a lot of them, instead of staying outside like we usually do. Brother Huh also came a little late, so we didn't actually see him until he came up to us. He talked with lots of the members on his own, and seemed very happy. After church, we met very briefly and watched a new video about the mission of Christ, "그분 덕분에" ("Because of Him"). It was pretty great, and he seemed to like it. He understands very well the necessity of Christ as our Redeemer, and he prays very simply and faithfully. He also said that he's been very busy, so much so that he hasn't had time for the usual things that have been making it hard for him to keep the Word of Wisdom, so he's focusing on studying and keeping it. It was pretty great---it seems like he'll be ready to be baptized, and I'm so grateful for his effort and faith and the opportunity to be able to know and help him.

There were lots of great miracles this week---really, it seemed like almost everyday. But there was one that was pretty different from the others. On Monday, we started preparing for our Family Home Evening activity that we usually do, but no one we had invited had come yet. Then, we heard someone calling in the back of the chapel, and it was an older man that none of us knew. He said he was trying to get back to where he had come from, and asked if we could help him to pay for the bus. At first we weren't sure what to do, but one of the other missionaries invited him to first just come in and sit down and drink some water. We talked with him for a bit, and he seemed pretty tired and things---and then we decided to just have a short activity. We sang a hymn together ("Abide with Me"), said a prayer, and had a short message, and then he had to go---but it was pretty great. I hope he was able to feel God and Christ's love for him, and we treated him the way They would have wanted us to. I'm constantly grateful for the experiences and people we've been able to have and meet here, especially for the help of my great companion, who's always working hard to progress personally and together. I'm grateful for the simple knowledge of and faith in the Gospel that blesses our lives, and for all of the help and blessings you have given me. I hope you're always happy and know how much I love and believe in you. I know you're blessing all those around you, and making a difference that no one else can. Thanks for everything---keep it up.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

This has been another pretty great week. Things are starting to get a little warmer again, although there's still always the slight rain every once in a while. This week we came back here after going to the meeting for missionaries who are transferring to new areas or going home. It was pretty interesting---there were a lot of missionaries that I had served with or knew pretty well who gave their testimony, and at the end they all sang the one from the Children's Songbook about praying. It was kind of cheesy, but kind of in a nice way. After that, I realized the missionary who called me and told me he was transferring to this area, 박장로님 (Elder Park (Pock)), wasn't there. We went together with the other missionaries in our area back here together, and then later heard that he had had a bad allergic reaction and went to the doctor at the last minute. He called later that day to say what had happened, and that he would come the next day. The other missionaries here, 황장로님 and 김장로님 (Elder Hwang and Elder Kim) and I stayed together and then left in the morning to go to the bus terminal to pick up my companion. He's really nice---we actually served in the same district when I served in Ulsan a while ago, and I was always impressed by his good example. He already did his military service, went to college for a year where studied marine biology, and is very nice and responsible as well as funny. He was still feeling a little tired from just being treated, so after a bit of trying to find a less-active member's house we went back and called some other people that we wanted to meet, and then went to visit a really nice member together, 고자매님 (Sister Go). She works as a custodian at a middle school, and talked about how her kids aren't as interested in church and sometimes it's hard for her. Even though it was just the first day he'd been there,Elder Park (Pock) worked really hard to get to know everyone as fast as he could and to figure out how he needed to help them.

On Wednesday we had a meeting with all the other missionaries in our district, which was a lot---there are almost 15 people, and a lot who have come recently. We talked about how we can work together and strengthen each other, and my companion suggested we each share something that we think is one of our strengths, and then someone who has served with us before share one as well. It was really nice---we got to get to know each other a lot better, and afterwards we went to eat together at a restaurant called 밥버거 (Bop Burger), which is a kind of 주먹밥 (Fist-rice: rice mixed with lots of other things and rolled together in a ball) kind of shaped like a burger. It's a bit silly, but surprisingly good. On Thursday, we got to meet 허형제님 (Brother Huh), who was planning to get baptized for a while. He seems to be doing really well---he and Elder Park (Pock) talked about when they served in the military, and the experiences they had. We talked about everything he's learned so far, and how all of it is based on faith in Jesus Christ, and taking action on the hope that we find. He seemed to really like it---he still has some trouble and worries about keeping all the commandments, but we reminded him that we're not all perfect, nor does Heavenly Father expect us to be all at once. Then Elder Park (Pock), showed him a parable about faith---that when we're holding a coin in our own hand, the only way we know it's in there is by the feeling of it. Elder Park (Pock) is also really good at magic, and so he showed him some, and it was pretty really cool. We also visited several other members together with all the other missionaries and got to know them a little better. One of them is a painter who used to live in lots of other countries and who took about 10 years from finding out about the church until she decided to be baptized. The same day we went to visit the bishop's family, which was also really nice. Their kids are all really funny and cute, and the Sisters shared a really nice message about serving others. They asked me to share an experience, and I talked about the young men in 김천 (Kim-chun) and how when I first tried to teach the Sunday school class that it seemed like there wasn't enough time to prepare, but after a while I started to look at the lesson every day just for a few minutes and try to prepare, and it worked out a lot better. It was really nice. We're having a talent show this week, and two of their kids decided to do 판소리 (Pan-sori), an old kind of story-telling traditional music. We talked a lot with the other missionaries to prepare for it and for other things, and it seems like we'll get along really well. All the other missionaries are really nice and pretty experienced, and all seem to get along with each other really well.

On Friday, we met someone that we had first met while we were doing an activity about our English class, but that I didn't actually meet. His name is 백형제님 (Brother Beck), and when we sent him a text him about our English class he replied and asked if we had time to meet on another day. We met him in kind of the downtown area of Kim-hay, and it turned out he brought his friend. We went and ate 밀면 (noodles made of wheat) together, and found out that he actually moved with his family to California when he was 2 or 3, and came back recently to go to college. He speaks both English and Korean really well, and even though he originally just wanted to meet with someone to practice English he started asking about the Book of Mormon that we had brought, and we talked about Joseph Smith and the importance of the Book of Mormon. He seemed pretty curious about it, as well as about how to interpret the Bible. We asked if he wanted to meet later and talk more about it, and he said he would be interested. It was pretty amazing, and I'm really glad that we were able to meet him before the first time---it was really was quite a miracle, even though it might not have seemed like it right away.

Everything else was pretty good this week---I started trying to read in Isaiah again, and was thinking about the nature of the Lord's strong words about sin and sinners, coupled with the promise that if we just desire to and come unto Him, that we can figure everything out and become better. I think that as we keep trying consistently to be better and to follow Jesus' example, all the things we worry about, even the ones we don't totally understand, will eventually be able to be solved, and will work out well. I know there are lots f people here that need our help to be able to feel the comfort of working together with the Lord to be happy, and I'm so grateful to be able to serve here with great missionaries to do it. I hope you're all happy, and know how much I love and miss you. I also liked this scripture that Elder Park (Pock) shared a little bit ago---Doctrine and Covenants 84:77. I know that each of you are really blessing all the people around you---keep it up.

-Elder Campbell

Editor's Note: Here's D & C 84:77 for y'all:

77 And again I say unto you, my friends, for from henceforth I shall call you friends, it is expedient that I give unto you this commandment, that ye become even as my friends in days when I was with them, traveling to preach the gospel in my power;

Sunday, April 20, 2014

This week was another time. It felt in some ways pretty long, but also went by pretty fast. I guess that might not make a lot of sense, but it's a pretty apt description of how things have been going on for a long time. But I know that we sometimes need to experience things like that in order to gain a greater appreciation for other things. I'm so grateful for all of the great experiences and memories I've had with all of the people here and with all of you. Before the weather, I thought it might be good to explain about the new place that I'm in, since I didn't get to really as part of the last e-mail. It simultaneously seems like a really big change, but also doesn't really feel like it's been one. The city we live and serve in is called 김해 (Kim-hay/金海), and it's about 45 minutes by a normal city bus to our mission headquarters and so it's very close to 부산 (Busan). It's pretty different in a lot of ways from 김천 (Kim-chun)---it's a little bigger, and a little more varied landscape-wise. Not that there weren't many mountains in 김천---there were a lot when we walked to people's houses, and a less-active member I mentioned bfore pretty much lived on one---but here is a little more hilly and green. It's pretty beautiful. There are lots of pretty beautiful flowers coming out around now, too, so that is really nice. The church is also significantly different---there's a big, relatively new building, and there are about 100 people in the ward who come regularly. Last Monday, after coming back from the meeting, e-mailing and shopping and things like that, we went to the church to help with a Family Home Evening activity the ward has been trying to do every week. Because everyone was busy not many were able to make it, but we did get to meet the other missionaries in our are and get to know them a little better. I served with two of them in the same area in 울산 (Ulsan), Elder Himmer and Sister Burton. The other two, 황장로님 (Elder Hwang) and Sister Hingano are a little newer and I hadn't known them well before, but they are really kind and funny. We talked about things we might want to do to help the members a little more, and work more effectively together. We met again the next day to talk about the less-active members we've all been visiting and working with, and also to figure out things for General Conference, which we watched this past week. Elder Quist and I also talked about our zone and things we needed to do for them. We had a lot of time kind of sitting and planning, but it was still good, and when we went outside to do the things we were planning on it made it that much more beautiful and exciting.

On Tuesday night, after planning and eating, we went out and walked up a bunch of rolling hills to one of the colleges in our city, called 인제대학교 (In-jay University) with the other missionaries and all went to try to talk to pepole together in the campus. It was a bit chilly but very nice night, and there were lots of students walking around, some on the way to exercise or play sports, and they were all really friendly. Students in general are very kind and nice to foreigners, but also it seems to other people---that's probably a bit of a generalization, but they do seem to understand that they have a lot of responsibilities to others, and in general are really kind and considerate of others. In particular, one of the people the missionaries had been meeting for the past few weeks who we got to meet again a few times is a good example of this. His name is 허형제님 (Brother Huh(?)), and he's about 23, and really nice. One of his cousins is a member, and she told him about missionaries, and he started meeting with them and really liking and accepting the things they taught. He came to both of the English class times we had on Wednesday and Saturday, and afterwards we were able to talk with him about the gospel. Unfortunately, he also has had kind of a bad experience recently, and os he felt pretty down about that the first time we met him on Wednesday. We talked about faith, and how it's not just knowledge or an outward thing that is simply a requirement, but a hope that helps us to endure through hard things, that even if we don't understand now we hope that things will work out for the better later. He seemed to appreciate it, but also called a few days later and told us because of the problem he might have to go somewhere else to work for a long time and might not be able to meet anymore. I was afraid for a bit he had felt like we weren't really working for his best interest, that he felt like we were just trying to get him to come and do something we wanted him to. Then on Saturday, during English class, he suddenly called and asked if we could talk. He came to the church, and after the English part we talked about faith and repentance---how as we live and are part of this world we will inevitably feel those disappointing things and have those kinds of experiences, but as much as that happens we can also step back, think about things and then with Christ's help commit to be better. He seemed to understand and really like it, and I was so grateful that the Lord had helped him in ways that we couldn't have, and don't even know about. This week we were also able to meet a college student who's a Jehovah's Witness---he brought some other members of his church, and they talked a lot about the Second Coming, that it wasn't necessarily supposed to be physical, and things like that. We bore our testimony of Christ's living reality and about the Book of Mormon, and the student said he would try to read it to see if it were right. Elder Quist was almost a little frustrated, but also felt good that we had sincerely shared with them what we knew to be true instead of trying to argue or prove our own point. It was hard, but in some ways really good, too.

On Friday, we got to go to our mission's headquarters and have a meeting with the other zone and Sister training leaders, which our mission president also came and spoke at. It was really good---I fee like sometimes I can not participate as well sometimes at those kinds of meetings, but I was able to learn a lot, and we've been trying to share it with the other missionaries in our zone well. After the meeting we took a bus up to another area in our district, a part of Busan called 구포 (Goo-poh), and give something to and talk with the missionaries there, all of whom I've served close with and know pretty well. It was great to see all of them---their church is high up in a big hill, and the bus we took up almost seemed like it might not make it in the struggle to get up there. There were lots of students running around, and talking with a bit of the dialect that people use here more---it was fun. Then on Saturday and yesterday, we were able to watch General Conference in the church, with members, on of our Sisters' investigators, and just with us missionaries at a few points. It was all very good---I felt a lot of the talks addressed specifically a lot of things I've been thinking about, even if not exactly the central things. I especially thought it was interesting that several speakers talked about our different perspectives in this life---there are an infinite variety of different people that we come into contact with every day, but they're all still the same children of Heavenly Father, and the more we try to understand and sympathize with others' point of view, the more unified and peaceful everything will be. I also really liked a few of the talks that mentioned following guidance in making choices, which Elder Quist and I had been talking about a lot. President Uchtdorf also mentioned, which I think he has before, that we have limitless opportunities to do good. Sometimes we feel limited because of our perspective or circumstances, and even though that's true for some things, the ways we can love and be kind to each other are varied, and we can find new ones if we look. I also really liked the talk about Joseph Smith's early life, leading up to the First Vision. It's something I feel like I can talk about without thinking as deeply about sometimes, just because it feels so usual and natural. I know that if we all realize how much God personally cares for us, and act accordingly with a sincere heart, that if we truly try to reciprocate, like President Monson mentioned, we never know how far He is willing to go to show is love for and direct us in our lives.

Lastly, I thought I should share about someone we met on the bus back from Goo-poh to our area. His name is 한형제님 (Brother Hahn), and he works, I'm pretty sure, as a custodian at a middle school. He spoke slowly and simply, but really genuinely and nicely. We shared simply about how we can be relieved of the burden of our mistakes through believing in Christ, and he seemed to like it, and said we could meet and talk again. Later that day, while we were walking on a back street near our house, we saw him and what looked like his wife, going somewhere together. The both smiled and greeted us, and it was really great---that day, Elder Quist mentioned several times, was "a really good day". I'm so grateful to be able to serve here, and even though I'm not as good as I need to be that we can meet togethe with people and try to help each other. I'm so grateful for all of the help and love all of you have given me, and I know that the Gospel is true. I know that God loves all of us equally, and he wants us to know it, and if we try to know sincerely, we can see it. Have a great week, and try to read Mormon's Book. Thanks for everything---keep it up.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Dear Beloved Family (사랑하는 가족 여러분):

This week was another time. It felt in some ways pretty long, but also went by pretty fast. I guess that might not make a lot of sense, but it's a pretty apt description of how things have been going on for a long time. But I know that we sometimes need to experience things like that in order to gain a greater appreciation for other things. I'm so grateful for all of the great experiences and memories I've had with all of the people here and with all of you. Before the weather, I thought it might be good to explain about the new place that I'm in, since I didn't get to really as part of the last e-mail. It simultaneously seems like a really big change, but also doesn't really feel like it's been one.

The city we live and serve in is called 김해 (Kim-hay/金海), and it's about 45 minutes by a normal city bus to our mission headquarters and so it's very close to 부산 (Busan). It's pretty different in a lot of ways from 김천 (Kim-chun)---it's a little bigger, and a little more varied landscape-wise. Not that there weren't many mountains in 김천---there were a lot when we walked to people's houses, and a less-active member I mentioned before pretty much lived on one---but here is a little more hilly and green. It's pretty beautiful. There are lots of pretty beautiful flowers coming out around now, too, so that is really nice. The church is also significantly different---there's a big, relatively new building, and there are about 100 people in the ward who come regularly. Last Monday, after coming back from the meeting, e-mailing and shopping and things like that, we went to the church to help with a Family Home Evening activity the ward has been trying to do every week. Because everyone was busy not many were able to make it, but we did get to meet the other missionaries in our area and get to know them a little better. I served with two of them in the same area in 울산 (Ulsan), Elder Himmer and Sister Burton. The other two, 황장로님 (Elder Hwang) and Sister Hingano are a little newer and I hadn't known them well before, but they are really kind and funny. We talked about things we might want to do to help the members a little more, and work more effectively together. We met again the next day to talk about the less-active members we've all been visiting and working with, and also to figure out things for General Conference, which we watched this past week. Elder Quist and I also talked about our zone and things we needed to do for them. We had a lot of time kind of sitting and planning, but it was still good, and when we went outside to do the things we were planning on it made it that much more beautiful and exciting.

On Tuesday night, after planning and eating, we went out and walked up a bunch of rolling hills to one of the colleges in our city, called 인제대학교 (In-jay University) with the other missionaries and all went to try to talk to people together in the campus. It was a bit chilly but very nice night, and there were lots of students walking around, some on the way to exercise or play sports, and they were all really friendly. Students in general are very kind and nice to foreigners, but also it seems to other people---that's probably a bit of a generalization, but they do seem to understand that they have a lot of responsibilities to others, and in general are really kind and considerate of others. In particular, one of the people the missionaries had been meeting for the past few weeks who we got to meet again a few times is a good example of this. His name is 허형제님 (Brother Huh(?)), and he's about 23, and really nice. One of his cousins is a member, and she told him about missionaries, and he started meeting with them and really liking and accepting the things they taught. He came to both of the English class times we had on Wednesday and Saturday, and afterwards we were able to talk with him about the gospel. Unfortunately, he also has had kind of a bad experience recently, and so he felt pretty down about that the first time we met him on Wednesday. We talked about faith, and how it's not just knowledge or an outward thing that is simply a requirement, but a hope that helps us to endure through hard things, that even if we don't understand now we hope that things will work out for the better later. He seemed to appreciate it, but also called a few days later and told us because of the problem he might have to go somewhere else to work for a long time and might not be able to meet anymore. I was afraid for a bit he had felt like we weren't really working for his best interest, that he felt like we were just trying to get him to come and do something we wanted him to.

Then on Saturday, during English class, he suddenly called and asked if we could talk. He came to the church, and after the English part we talked about faith and repentance---how as we live and are part of this world we will inevitably feel those disappointing things and have those kinds of experiences, but as much as that happens we can also step back, think about things and then with Christ's help commit to be better. He seemed to understand and really like it, and I was so grateful that the Lord had helped him in ways that we couldn't have, and don't even know about. This week we were also able to meet a college student who's a Jehovah's Witness---he brought some other members of his church, and they talked a lot about the Second Coming, that it wasn't necessarily supposed to be physical, and things like that. We bore our testimony of Christ's living reality and about the Book of Mormon, and the student said he would try to read it to see if it were right. Elder Quist was almost a little frustrated, but also felt good that we had sincerely shared with them what we knew to be true instead of trying to argue or prove our own point. It was hard, but in some ways really good, too.

On Friday, we got to go to our mission's headquarters and have a meeting with the other zone and Sister training leaders, which our mission president also came and spoke at. It was really good---I feel like sometimes I can not participate as well sometimes at those kinds of meetings, but I was able to learn a lot, and we've been trying to share it with the other missionaries in our zone well. After the meeting we took a bus up to another area in our district, a part of Busan called 구포 (Goo-poh), and give something to and talk with the missionaries there, all of whom I've served close with and know pretty well. It was great to see all of them---their church is high up in a big hill, and the bus we took up almost seemed like it might not make it in the struggle to get up there. There were lots of students running around, and talking with a bit of the dialect that people use here more---it was fun. Then on Saturday and yesterday, we were able to watch General Conference in the church, with members, one of our Sisters' investigators, and just with us missionaries at a few points. It was all very good---I felt a lot of the talks addressed specifically a lot of things I've been thinking about, even if not exactly the central things. I especially thought it was interesting that several speakers talked about our different perspectives in this life---there are an infinite variety of different people that we come into contact with every day, but they're all still the same children of Heavenly Father, and the more we try to understand and sympathize with others' point of view, the more unified and peaceful everything will be. I also really liked a few of the talks that mentioned following guidance in making choices, which Elder Quist and I had been talking about a lot. President Uchtdorf also mentioned, which I think he has before, that we have limitless opportunities to do good. Sometimes we feel limited because of our perspective or circumstances, and even though that's true for some things, the ways we can love and be kind to each other are varied, and we can find new ones if we look. I also really liked the talk about Joseph Smith's early life, leading up to the First Vision. It's something I feel like I can talk about without thinking as deeply about sometimes, just because it feels so usual and natural. I know that if we all realize how much God personally cares for us, and act accordingly with a sincere heart, that if we truly try to reciprocate, like President Monson mentioned, we never know how far He is willing to go to show is love for and direct us in our lives.

Lastly, I thought I should share about someone we met on the bus back from Goo-poh to our area. His name is 한형제님 (Brother Hahn), and he works, I'm pretty sure, as a custodian at a middle school. He spoke slowly and simply, but really genuinely and nicely. We shared simply about how we can be relieved of the burden of our mistakes through believing in Christ, and he seemed to like it, and said we could meet and talk again. Later that day, while we were walking on a back street near our house, we saw him and what looked like his wife, going somewhere together. The both smiled and greeted us, and it was really great---that day, Elder Quist mentioned several times, was "a really good day". I'm so grateful to be able to serve here, and even though I'm not as good as I need to be that we can meet together with people and try to help each other. I'm so grateful for all of the help and love all of you have given me, and I know that the Gospel is true. I know that God loves all of us equally, and he wants us to know it, and if we try to know sincerely, we can see it. Have a great week, and try to read Mormon's Book. Thanks for everything---keep it up.

Monday, March 24, 2014

I'm so grateful all the time for every way in which you have allhelped me to learn stuff. I hope you're always doing well. I know it'shard to do that, and I sometimes feel like I'm just writing it thesame way every week---but I really do sincerely hope that. The weatheris pretty steadily moving, which means other things are too,especially people---Sunday night is quickly becoming the time whenpeople are the most visible, while just a few weeks ago there was noone at all out at that time. Sometimes it's weird to realize changeslike that, but to other people it must be a relief.

I'm always glad to be serving here. It's not exactly like you mightexpect, that because it's a smaller town everyone's really familiarwith each other. But in a certain way, it is like that---among themembers, or just people who live here. And since we often go tosimilar places regularly, there are lots of people we get to seeseveral times in a week. And now that the weather is a little warmer,people seem a bit nicer and more open, which I guess is only natural.This week we got to go to the biggest city in our zone, called 대구(Daegu (Day-goo))---it's one of the bigger cities in the country, andbecause it's not too far from where we are people often go there forbusiness or just to shop and things when they have free time. We tookthe train there on Tuesday morning, and met two really greatmissionaries I've been able to know for a long time, 윤장로님 (ElderYoon), and Elder Hall. They are our zone leaders, and we were in the(M.T.) C. together. We got to do a companion exchange with them, ElderLaney staying in Daegu and Elder Hall and I coming back here. It wasreally great---we took the train back, looked at the interesting view(rice fields, highways, mountains with clumps of apartments grouped inthem, and lots of churches), and after putting everything in our housewe went over to the main part of where we usually go, in front of thetrain station. While we were walking, we greeted an older man carryinga bike, and he started talking to us about our church and how he usedto talk with the missonaries and wanted to learn English, although hewas really quite good already. He talked about how he used to go toCatholic church, but then his daughter had kind of a breakdown and hadto go to a mental hospital for treatment, and that made him wonder whyGod would allow something like that to his family---he said she'sgetting better. We sympathized with him, and told him we're here tohelp him, including if he wants to learn English. He seemedappreciative, and asked where the church is, but in the end said hewill come if he wants to. It was very nice to meet him, though. Wewent to the base of the overpass/skybridge next to the train station,where we planned to meet 김형제님 (Brother Kim, originally from China),and called him because we didn't see him. While the phone was ringing,we turned around and saw him standing there smiling with his phone inhis hand. He said he had seen us standing up on the bridge talking tothe other man with the bike, but wasn't sure if it was us because hedidn't recognize Elder Hall. We laughed a bit, and then went to 이삭 토스트(Isaac Toast), the first time I'd ever met an investigator there. Weate a little, and then talked about the scriptures---he mentioned howall scripture, the Bible, Buddhist or other scriptures, and the Bookof Mormon, seems like more than other books something that's a littlemore special, that helps us to live happily. We talked about how theyprovide a guide for us, and Elder Hall shared his testimony reallystrongly. We then gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon in Chinese,which we had gotten for him a while ago. I wasn't actually sure if hewas comfortable with reading it, but he seemed to understand it allpretty perfectly. We talked specifically about the story of Alma'speople in Mosiah 24, and how they were able to find real comfort andhave their burdens lightened even in the face of hard tribulation andwork---he works at a bath house for almost 12 hours every day exceptfor Tuesday. He seemed to understand it, read the whole introductionby himself in a few minutes, and said he would try to read the chapterby himself later if he had time. It was really good---I just hope hefelt how we wanted to share a story with him he could apply tohimself, and why it's important to him personally.

That same day we also visited 편형제님 (Brother Pyun), the olderless-active member who lives near a mountain. The walk over was reallynice---we got to talk to lots of kind people, and each other (we'refrom the same 동기---group of people who started missoinary work at thesame time). We talked with Brother Pyun about his family, and whatthey do, and his dream---he wanted to become a politician, but saidhe'd never had enough money. He also asked about what we're planningto do---I said I'm still not totally sure, but trying to focus on whatI'm doing now and gradually think about and decide that. We readtogether in 3 Nephi 18 where Christ gives the sacrament to theNephites, and explains so clearly what it means and why it'simportant. He has in the past complained that the script of the Bookof Mormon in Korean is old-fashioned and hard to understand, but thistime he said it was all good, and said he would come to StakeConference on Sunday. We walked back, and tried to visit a fewless-active memers' houses that we haven't been to before. That nightwe went and visited a brother who used to come to English class at thechurch, and he was really nice. We went to the pain clinic where heworks, on the second floor of an office building above a clothingstore and beneath a pool hall, and talked with him there---he hadlittle chairs with massaging machines for people waiting, and talkedabout how when he lived in Canada things like that and other interiorthings were much more expensive than in Korea. We talked about hisfamily, and how he's doing, and invited him to come back to Englishclass. He said he would try---it was really nice.

The next day we went to 구미 (Goo-mee) for a district meeting. It wasreally great---we talked a bit before, played ping-pong a little, andthen started. Everyone had prepared really well, and it was just agreat, helpful time. Usually a district meeting includes talking aboutannouncements and how everyone's investigators are doing, then alanguage practice/lesson, then a short talk, and a longerteaching-practice. We bear our testimonies at the end, and thenfinish. It was just really nice---afterward we ordered lunch, ate, andwent to do a proselyting activity together. The Goo-mee missionariesmade a board with a few of the "Questions of the Soul" that the Bookof Mormon answers ("Preach My Gospel"), and we went to a kind ofcrowded place and invited people to come and choose one and then talkabout why they think it's an important question. We were able to talkto lots of people, and it was fun. After we finished, we took thetrain back, and went to meet 민형제님 (Brother Meen), and after he talkeda bit about the local elections and English, we talked about prophetsand what they do. He explained in great detail what he thought abouteach of the famous prophets of the old testament, and what theydid---and then when we asked if he thought we would still need onetoday, he stopped for a minute, and then said probably yes. We talkedabout the Restoration, and the Book of Mormon---he had been confusedthat we only believed it, and not the Bible---and he seemed to reallylike all of it. He agreed to try to read the Book of Mormon, and topray about it. It was a really simple, great talk. Then because ElderLaney wasn't feeling great, we went to Lotteria, the kind ofin-country McDonalds, for dinner, and tried to talk to a few morepeople before going home.

The rest of the week was pretty much taken up in relation to our StakeConference, which was also in Daegu. On Friday, we did anotherexchange with the missionaries in 안동 (Ahn-dohng). They had twoinvestigators who would be baptized after Stake Conference, and theyneeded to do an interview. The first was an older woman, about 80 wholived pretty far away. The other is a younger man whose girlfriend istheir branch's president. They were both really great in differentways---the older woman didn't understand a lot of what the Sisterstaught because she's pretty deaf, but said she desired to keep comingand review again and better understand what she did learn, and waspretty stubborn and cute and funny. The younger man was really nice,as well---he really understood well what he had learnerd, and seemedprepared to make a big change in his life by being baptized. It waspretty inspiring to talk to both of them. The next day we went back toDaegu to meet the other missionaries and go to the evening meeting ofStake Conference. It was pretty great---all the leaders and otherspeakers had prepared really well. There was an Area Seventy, 백장로님(Elder Beck), who gave a really simple but powerful talk. It endedlate, so a member who used to be a taxi driver took eight missionariesincluding us to one of the houses for the Daegu missionaries, a reallybig apartment, and we ate together before going to sleep. It wasreally nice.

I feel like there were a lot of specific events this week to talkabout, and we don't have as much time again---but I guess in generalwhat I felt and learned from most of them is that, as always, the Lordis aware of us and is addressing our needs and wants right now, mostlythrough other people. I also realized something obvious, but in a morepowerful way, before going to sleep on Tuesday, which Elder Hall thentalked about when we studied the next morning, but basically theimportance of remembering. Relating to the sacrament, if we don'tremember all these things we know, then the knowledge is hollow. Ifit's not really part of us, and if it doesn't motivate us and changethe way we live and help other people, then it doesn't really meananything. I'm so grateful for church and the sacrament and family tohelp us remember all the great things God has given us in our lives. Ilove all of you, and am so grateful to be here, and to know the thingsI know. I know they can bless everyone ,and will always help all ofyou. Thanks again for everything you've helped me with, and I love youall---keep it up.